Bringing prescription medication in — any issues?

Bringing a supply in is normally fine with the right paperwork, and a Korean doctor can usually take over — but check your specific drug before you fly, because a few common medications are controlled here.

Bringing it in:

1. Keep it in the original labelled packaging. Not a pill organiser.
2. Carry a copy of the prescription and, better, a doctor's letter in English stating the condition, the drug name (generic name, not just the brand), the dose and the duration. This costs you one appointment at home and answers every question at customs.
3. Personal-use quantities are generally accepted. A large supply — six months or a year — is more likely to be questioned, which is exactly what the doctor's letter is for.
4. Declare it if asked. Customs is straightforward when the paperwork is present.

The important check before you fly: some medications that are routine elsewhere are controlled or unavailable in Korea. ADHD stimulants, certain strong painkillers, some sleep medications and some cannabis-derived products fall into this category, and a few require an import permit from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety obtained in advance. Look up your specific drug by its generic name on the MFDS guidance, or ask the Korean consulate in writing. Do not assume, and do not rely on a forum post about a different drug.

Getting it in Korea instead: for most ordinary long-term medications this is the better plan. Korean healthcare is cheap and accessible, the international clinics at Severance, Asan and Samsung have English-speaking doctors, and once you are on NHIS the cost is low. Bring your home doctor's letter to the first appointment — a Korean doctor will usually prescribe an equivalent without difficulty. Brand names differ; the generic name is what matters.

Practical plan: bring three months' supply with documentation, and see a Korean doctor in your first month to establish the ongoing prescription. That covers the transition without carrying a year of anything.